2017 Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda

This wine boasts a very etched and linear quality that defines both the bouquet and the mouthfeel. The Conterno Fantino 2017 Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda starts in little clicks with wild berry, cassis, dark plum, spice and tar. Those intervals add up quickly to form a greater sense of length and endurance that this wine, made with fruit from silty soils mixed with sand and clay, delivers in both the good years and the more difficult ones alike. I noted an exotic floral component in the 2016 vintage; however, this 2017 edition is far more rooted in dark primary fruit. Light touches of smoke and spice give lift to the finish. This was a release of exactly 6,576 bottles.

The 2017 Barolo Castelletto Vigna Pressenda is a gorgeous, exotic wine. Rose petal, orange peel, cinnamon, cedar and red berry fruit all open in a beautifully layered, super-expressive Barolo from Conterno-Fantino. Beams of Castelletto tannin extend the finish while lending a real feeling of vibrancy throughout. The balance of purity and structure is compelling.